The Tor Project Launches a New Browser

Andrew Heinzman
News Editor

Andrew is the News Editor for Review Geek, where he covers breaking stories and manages the news team. He joined Life Savvy Media as a freelance writer in 2018 and has experience in a number of topics, including mobile hardware, audio, and IoT. Read more...

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Apr 3, 2023, 11:28 am EDT | 1 min read

The Mullvad Browser running on macOS. — Andrew Heinzman / Review Geek, Mullvad VPN

There’s a good chance that you’ve heard of the Tor Browser, an ultra-anonymous browser that goes beyond common security measures. Well, in an odd twist, The Tor Project is partnering with Mullvad VPN to launch a brand new browser—the Mullvad Browser.

The Mullvad Browser offers a privacy-focused experience without the Tor Network. It’s similar to the Brave and DuckDuckGo browsers, as it features several built-in tools to help you avoid web tracking. (That said, Mullvad Browser is based on Firefox, while Brave and DuckDuckGo utilize the Chromium platform.)

“We want to free the internet from mass surveillance and a VPN alone is not enough to achieve privacy. From our perspective there has been a gap in the market for those who want to run a privacy-focused browser as good as the Tor Project’s but with a VPN instead of the Tor Network.” Jan Jonsson, CEO at Mullvad VPN.

Of course, The Tor Project recommends using a VPN with Mullvad Browser. Any VPN service will work, and if you don’t feel like using a VPN, you will still receive several privacy protections through Mullvad Browser’s built-in extensions and pre-configured settings.

When paired with a VPN, Mullvad claims that its browser will match the privacy offered by the Tor Network. I doubt that this is truly the case, as the Tor Network is fundamentally different from a VPN. But I also believe that the Tor Network is overkill for most people (and slower than molasses); it’s made to protect the privacy of journalists, whistleblowers, and citizens under harsh regimes.

The Mullvad Browser is free and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux (it doesn’t come with a VPN). If you want to add these protections to Firefox (instead of downloading a new browser), you can simply download the Mullvad browser extension, which helps you reconfigure your privacy settings and install some privacy-focused tools.